Alright, you’ve decided to go back to school, you’ve picked the place for you, and you’ve created your setup at home. Now how do you handle your studies? A plan is vital so you won’t get lost among the many pieces of homework you’ll be doing. I learned this the hard way several years ago when I was taking an online class and thought I had missed an assignment. I hadn’t missed it, but I nearly made myself sick until I figured it out because I just wasn’t organized enough.
Now I recognize that everyone has a different schedule so I’m only telling you how I handle my classes. The school that I attend does 5-week intensive classes, and we only take one class at a time. The class opens one week before the class actually begins, and that brings me to my first recommendation. Start reading early so you can get your assignments started as soon as the class opens. Otherwise, you’re reading when it would be better for you to already be working on assignments. If your school choice is like my own, the syllabus is available online even before you start class, and if the reading assignments are listed, you can go ahead and start reading for the first week as soon as you have access to your textbook.
The week class opens, I also print out any material for all five weeks that I’ll need, and this includes assignment pages and articles to read. It’s important to get the articles early in case you have trouble accessing them for any reason. Since a big portion of our homework is discussion posts, I try to get my post written and posted early. Then I pace myself the rest of the week to respond to other students. The earlier you can start working on your weekly paper, presentation, or other assignment the easier it will be to complete it.
How ever your classes are scheduled just be sure to create a plan that works for you. I always try to take one evening off a week because I know I’ll need to respond to a few posts on the weekend and start reading for the next week. Giving yourself a break during the week just helps you to take a deep breath. Tonight happens to be my free night so I’ve been writing, updating my blog, and learning about YouTube content creation. It’s just nice to get my mind off of my schoolwork for an evening so be sure to find a way to unwind during your classes.
I know this was less entertaining and more informational, but I just want to share my experience in case anyone can use the help. I don’t tell people which school I attend because I try to limit what I consider to be overly personal information, but I like to share what it has been like to go back to school in my forties while working and then looking for a job in a new field.
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Inspirational verse for the day:
“Be hospitable to one another without complaining.” 1 Peter 4:9 (HCSB)
All Things Subject to Change 